Safety mechanism for motor-cars.



No. 737,596; PATENTED SEPT. 1, 1908.

01,1. EGKEQAH- SAFETY MECHANISM PQB-z MOTOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED; :335. &3. 9 ]!0 IODEL. 3 BHEETSSHEET 1.

ATTEST. Irwmrnm No. 737,596. O PATENTED SEPT. 1, 190s.v

' 0. -J. EGKROAD.

SAFETY MECHANISM FOR MOTOR OARS APPLICATION FILED Emma. 1903. x0 nonnn. 4 a sums-snar a.

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SAFETY MECHANISM FOR MOTOR CARS.

7 APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16. 1903.

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Ilatented September l, 1903".

PATENT OFFICE.

OARRELL J. EOKROAD,

OF CLEVELAND, OIIIO.

SAFETY MECHANISM FOR MOTOR-CARS.

EEEQIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,596, dated September 1, 1903.

Application filed February 16, 1903. Serial No. 143,613. (No model.)

To all whom zit may concern:

Be it known that I, CARRELL J. ECKROAD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Mechanism for Motor-Oars; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in safety mechanism for motor-cars, and the object of the invention is to provide a mechanism or means for saving the lives and protecting the bodies of persons who accidentally come into the path of a motor-car and are struck thereby and subjected to danger, all substantially as shown and described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my safety attachment and a portion of a car-truck looking down on line a: m, Fig. 2; and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation on a line corresponding to 3 y, Fig. 1, but showing in addition the bottom or platform of a car to which my safety mechanism is attached. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail or portion of the trip mechanism shown centrally in Fig. and as hereinafter more fully described. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation on a line corresponding to w w, Fig. 5, and Fig. 5 is a plan view on a line corresponding to z .2, Fig. 4. Figs. 6 and 7 are elevations of modifications of the invention shown in Fig. 2 and corresponding in some of the details to the mechanism in said figure; and Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional elevation of a detail of Fig. 7, as will hereinafter more fully appear. Fig. 0 is a sectional view on line A A, Fig.

As thus shown, A refers to the bottom or platform of a motor-car,and B generally designates the truck or a part thereof. I

O is the carrier or fender, which is provided with a front section of the portion O, which is supported at its ends or end extensions on the sides of main section O and adapted to slide back thereon against thetension or countcrpressurc of a suitable spring 0, one or more, as may be found best in operation. A cushioning cross-bar c is carried at the front of the section O, and normally the said section O is out or forward in working position, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, and it retreats or slides back upon its supports only when an object is struck and the resistance thereof is such as to counterbalance the spring 0. Then the said part yields and if the object encountered be a person the presumption is that the person will be thrown back upon the cushioning carrier C and protected from injury. It is also intended that this entire carrier or fender structure shall run comparatively low or near to the surface of the roadbed or track, so that it will strike a person in the neighborhood of the ankles or possibly a little higher and necessarily throw him over onto the carrier, and what would otherwise possibly be a severe stroke or blow is cushioned and rendered harmless by the springcushioning of front portion O, through which the initial stroke occurs. The-entire carrier is pivotally suspended at c from the front of the car-body and under certain conditions, as when an object is struck by the carrier or fender, the said carrier or fender is caused to antomatically drop down at its front near to the track or surface of the road, with c as its pivot-point. If entirely down, it would be held in this position by heel 0 bearing against hanger H, and I might provide rollers orwheels at this point to carry the fender along upon the surface of the road-bed or rails, if pre ferred.

Ordinarily the entire fender structure is in a raised position relatively, as in Fig. 2, and it remains there until it is tripped automatically or by the motorman by mechanism now to be described. Thus spring 0 is a spiral spring encircling a rod D, and said spring rests between the rear edge of front section 0 and the stud or shoulder d on the rear section O, and rod D is adapted to slide in this stud when it is pushed back by resistance on the front fender-section O. This rod D is the initial member of the tripping mechanism and goes back to a slotted lever E, which has nearly a right-angled slot 2, in which one end of rod D is engaged by means of a pin or lug 3. Ordinarily lever E is down, as in Fig. 2, and rod D rests up in the short nearly rightangled portion of slot 2; but when sufficient resistance comes against fender-section O rod upon its pivot 0 as already described.

D is pushed back and the arm E is thrown up at its free end by rod D running back in its slot, and this occurs because rod D can only travel in a straight direction at this end. This action of lever E raises bell-crank lever F, pivoted at 4 in its angle or hanger H and carrying a roller f, normally resting over the edge of larger roller G and confining roller G, as seen in Fig. 3. Alinkf connects one end of bell-crank lever F with lever E, and these several parts are so connected that when lever E is raised by the action of rod D it works through link f upon bell-crank lever F and gives sufficient tilt thereto to release roller G from heel c of the fender, and thus permit the fender to drop down at its front as it turns In other words, the fender is suspended from its pivot-point c and has its heel resting at 0 against roller G, and this is its normal and usual position; but the instant that wheel or roller G is liberated by withdrawing roller f the roller G rises and lets the fender swing back at its bottom and its front drop, as already described. It is also seen in Fig. 3 that the rear end of rod D is bent upward at an inclination, so as to bring it into the upper portion of slot 2, where it rests normally, and all the parts are counterbalanced and held in their working position relatively, as seen in Fig. 3. The hangers H are fixed rigidly to the front of the car body or platform, and

these depend in such position and relation that they become supports for other parts, including lever E, bell-crank lever F, and hand-lever J, which latter extends upward within the reach of the motorman. This has aright-angled extremity 71, below its pivot h on hanger H and is provided with a suspensory support g for wheel G. By these latter means through lever J the motorman may himself raise wheel G in case he sees the approach of danger, and thus cause the fender to drop before the trip mechanism can act, if preferred. There is therefore a double security through this device, in that it pro- .vides both automatic means for dropping the fender and at the same time give the motorman complete control to himself to drop the fender whenever he sees it is needed. This latter provision is especially desirable to pick up a prostrate body which the automatic arrangement ordinarily would not reach because of the higher level at which it is found best to support the fender; but I have planned not only to automatically pick up and carry a person coming in'the path of a moving car, but also to automatically stop the car quickly as possible without waiting for the action of the motorman, who may or may not be prompt in his movements. For this reason I provide means which shall operate also to reverse the motor of the car and finally to block the car-wheels and all in the same instant with the initial movement of the fender or safety parts and through their action, directly or indirectly, as will now api said switch-plate.

pear. Thus I secure to the bottom of a car a switch or reversing mechanism comprising, as here shown, a suitable base N, which comes at the bottom of the car and within what may be a suitable housing n, and to this base I affix electric contacts 10 and 12 in pairs and separated from each other a short distance, but in line, so that connection can be made first through one set and then through the other, as may be wanted. A switch-plate 14 carries a set of contacting posts 15 or their equivalent at each side and which are adapted to engage with the said contacting parts 10 and 12. Normally the said posts are in contact with parts 10, as in Fig. 5, and in this position the current is on the motor for a forward movement of the car; but in case of accident, when sudden and automatic reversal of the current and motor are desirable, the posts 15, carried by switch 14, are driven back and thrown into contact with the reversing parts 12. Here the current is caused to flow in the reverse direction through the motor, and the motor itself is reverse and the action backward instead of forward. Switch 14 is designed to be slidably supported by any suitable means and is pushed to the rear or actuated by the push-bar and link connec tions m and m, pivoted on lever J and engaged through said switch against bolt Z, which is fixed to the end of the switch. I provide means to cut out the operation of the electric switch and also the brake mechanism, hereinafter described, when the fender is dropped or automatically operated, because under some conditions and in some instances it is only desirable to have the fender dropped without abruptly stopping the car. To this end a foot-lever L, pivoted at Z, is depressed to raise the bolt Z,normally engaging in the outer slotted end of lever L, and the head is in the path of the head of push-rod. m, connected by link m with lever J, Fig. 4.

As foot-lever L is depressed stop-bolt Z is raised out of contact and above the line of travel of the head of push-rod m, which is then free to move to the rear within the recess in switch-plate 14 and without actuating The handle portion J is pivoted on the top of lever J, so that when r said lever is actuated through the automatic trip mechanism by the parts hereinbefore described it will not possibly strike the motorman at this end or do other injury. A pin 7L3 serves to engage the pivoted top portion of the handle with the other portion and serves to make the two parts rigid with each other when engaged in the holes therein, and the fender and all the mechanism operatively connected with said lever can then be set to their normal positions by throwing the lever forward. When thus set, pin h is then removed, when the fender is raised by the forward movement of the leverspring 0 acts upon rod D, slide 0, and lever tions. The mechanism for dropping the fender is of a positive character, and the in stant that wheel G is liberated the inclined heel c, with all the back pressure of the fender operating thereupon, drives said wheel forcibly upward and tilts lever .I on its pivot h and forces back switch 14 into engaging po sition with reversing contact-point 12. I do not deem it necessary to go farther into the details of this switching mechanism, because it would necessarily be more or less changed according to the character of the motor used and its details may be largely varied and yet serve all my purposes, the idea broadly being that I connect a current or motor reversing mechanism with the safety mechanism of the fender, so that when said safety mechanism acts the reversal of the motor will occur simultaneously therewith and be brought about through the safety mechanism, substantially as hereinbefore described.

In addition to the foregoing precautions working in conjunction with each other and supplementing each other for safety purposes I also provide for the braking and blocking of the car-wheels. Either or both means here shown may be employed for this purpose. Assuming that there be a pneumatic brake on the car, I provide for actuating this brake through the controlling-valve V in the pneumatic channel, Fig. 5, which has a lever o, slotted at its outer end and connected pivotally with switch 14, so that'as said switch retreats from its normal position it will rotate valve V and throw in the pneumatic brake. Then in addition to this I provide also for the blocking of the wheels, and for this purpose I employ a set of transverselyslotted right-angled levers 0, Figs. 1 and 5. These levers are pivoted at 17, respectively, and a bolt or projection 18 in the rear end of switch li is engaged in the overlapping slotted ends of these levers, and there is a rightangled recess in the adjacent portions of these slots, in which the bolt 18 normally rests, Fig. 5. To the outer extremities of said levers are connected chains or cables R, which normally suspend the arms T, carrying brake-shoes V, and which are adapted to be dropped down onto the rails and serve as blocks or stops for the car-wheels when this line of mechanism is liberated for this purpose. The right-angled recess normally locks switch 11 and its connection 072 from back movement under the strain of the weight of the brake-shoes, and said levers cannot begin to rotate on their pivots until bolt 18 passes out of the shorter slot. Such liberation and freedom to act comes through the switch 14 being forced back and which turns the levers O suflieiently on their pivots to give slack to chains R to lower the shoes WV upon the track and beneath thev car-whee1s, and all of this of course occurs simultaneously with the reversing of the motor by switch ll and the dropping of the car-fender through the trip mechanism, as fully described herein. Then when. the parts are all reset after an accident to their normal and every-day position they are restored to place practically as seen in the several figures. Similar brake-shoes can be provided for the rear wheels and operated through cables R, Fig. 1.

In the modification Fig. 6 I show a form of trip mechanism in which a ratchet or toothed wheel Y is placed on one of the caraxles Z, said wheels in this instance being made up of two segments or parts, and above the same is a rod or bar 20, supported at its downwardly-bent substantially hook-shaped end 21 on the pivoted hanger 22 from the carbody. The said bar 20 is connected with the lower extremity of the crank-lever J which is a modification of crank-lever J shown in the foregoing views, in that it has an extension 23 below its pivot-point h. Lever E, corresponding in other respects to lever E in the preceding views, has an extension 24above its pivot-point, which is connected by a link or red 25 with the pivotsupporting catch 22, on which the hooked end of bar 20 rests normally. It follows when lever E is actuated that pivot-catch 22 is withdrawn from beneath extremity 21 of bar 20, whereupon extremity drops down on the ratchet-wheel Y and is engaged with one another of its teeth and through this engagement lever J 2 at the front is tilted, wheel G is raised, and the fender or carrier is permitted to drop, thus giving the same effect here as is obtained in the construction in views 1 to 55, inclusive. Otherwise the parts in Fig. 6 are substantially the same as in the preceding views and have the same references.

Figs. 7 and 8 show a further modification, and especially in the actuating mechanism for the electric switch 14 and brakes W. In these views I provide for pneumatic or other elastic pressure for actuating the switch, and to this end I show a cylinder 30 and a piston 31 therein with a'rod 32 and corresponding to rod m above, as shown in Fig. 4. I also provide a rotary valve 35, which controls the air or other passage to cylinder 30 and having an arm 36, which is operatively engaged by link or red 25, supported on the upper end 24 of lever E. The said lever is a duplicate of lever E in Fig. 6, and rod or link 25 is the same, only shorter and connected with arm 36 of valve 35 in this instance. WVhen this valve is opened by the operation of lever E through the dropping of the fender, the fluid, whatever it be, in the cylinder 30 will drive switch 145 back and cause it to act as is done in Figs. 1 and 5 and with the same eifect upon the brake and the other mechanism connected therewith farther back and which is the same as in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive. Piston 31 rests opposite a port communicably with pipe 40, which leads to the air-brake connection and which brakes are operated when the piston is driven back.

I have shown two distinct modifications of the invention in Fig. (5 and Figs. 7 and 8,

ICC

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down behind large roller G when roller G is set free to be crowded upward along the hanger by heel c of the fender, and thus positively actuate lever J and through it the other parts mechanically dependent thereon.

WVith an initial operating front section on a fender in combination with an automatic brake and an electric reversing-switch all accidents, even such as collisions between cars, are prevented, because when said section is actuated the car is brought to an abrupt standstill, as far as forward movement is concerned. The initial movement of slide 0 drops fender. Balance of movement acts as a cushion for object struck and is not itself sufficient to upset a person and will not thus act until at the limit of its inward movement. WVhen this occurs, the fender has had sufficient time to drop to receive the object as it falls thereon.

V hat I claim is- 1. In safety attachments for cars, a pivoted sectional fender provided with a front cushioned section adapted to slide back upon the rear section thereof, and a spring pressing against said front section, a hanger on the car, a wedging device adjustably supported between said hanger and said fender below its pivot, and connecting means between said device and said front section constructed to automatically withdraw said device to drop the fender when said front section is forced back, substantially as described.

2. -In safety mechanism for cars, a fender consisting of a rear section pivotally supported on the car, and a front section slidable thereon, and an initial actuating member adapted to hold said fender in a horizontal position and having operative means connected with said front section whereby said fender is released and dropped when said front section is forced baclgand a separate pivoted lever connected with said means adapted to independently lower or set said fender, substantially as described.

3. A safety mechanism for cars comprising a fender adapted to be pivotally supported on a car and having a front yielding springpressed section, means to normally'maintain said fender in a horizontalposition above the tracks comprising a wedging device adapted to bear against the heel of the fender, atripping device connected with said front section and operated thereby, and a lever having a link connection with said wedging device for independent control of said fender, substantially as described.

4:. A safety mechanism for cars consisting of a fender having a pivoted section and a spring-pressed slidable section at its front, trip mechanism for the fender and a device to actuate said mechanism supported upon said fender and by the front section thereof, and a roller confined by said trip mechanism and engaged by the rear of the fender, substantially as set forth.

5. A safety mechanism for cars consisting of a fender supported on the front of the car, and a roller and a back support for the roller engaging the rear of the fender, said roller interposed between said support and the bottom of the fender, and means to liberate said roller and permit it to rise, whereby the said fender is adapted to tilt down at the front, substantially as set forth.

6. The fender pivotally supported at its top and a roller against which the fender bears at its rear and bottom beneath its pivot, a

back support for said roller, a lever and link,

thereon to suspend the roller and to control the position of the same, and an automatic tripping and releasing device operated and connected with the front end of the fender, substantially as described.

7. A car-fender pivotally supported at its top and having aheel at its bottom with an inclined surface, in combination with a roller engaged by said heel, a lever to lower and raise said roller, and a tripping device comprising a crank-arm and roller thereon engaged with said first roller and having operative connections with the front end of the fender, substantially as described.

8. The car-fender pivoted at itstop to the body of the car, and a hanger depending from the car-body and having its lower portion substantially on a level with the bottom of the fender, and a roller interposed between the heel of the fender and the said hanger, substantially as set forth.

9. The fender and the hanger dependent from the car -body, in combination with a movable member interposed between the heel of the fender and said hanger, a trip mechanism adapted to liberate said movable member and permit it to be pressed backward and upward so that the fender may tilt, and a lever linked to said movable member, sub-.

said roller to keep it down and a trip mech anism for said lever having connection with the lront,,part oi the fender, and comprising a slotted lever linked to said bell-crank lever, substantially as set forth.

1?. A car having a fender and a hanger rigid with the car, and a roller between the fender and hanger and adapted to hold the fender in horizontal position, a device to hold said roller down, and means to trip said device and release the roller, said means comprising a pivoted lever having a slot and a rod engaged with the front of the fender at one end and running in the said slot in the other end, substantially as described.

13. The combination of the car and the fender, a roller engaged by the heel of the fender and holding the same in a substantially horizontal position, and a lever and connections in position to be operated by the motorman in the car to raise said roller and permit the fender to drop, substantially as set forth.

ll. A car and car-fender pivoted thereon, trip mechanism for the fender comprising a roller engaged by the heel of the fender to hold the same in a substantially horizontal position, a lever and connection upon the car to raise said rollerand permit the fender to drop, and a reversing'switch for the motorconnected with said lever, whereby when the fender is permitted to drop at its front the motor is reversed, substantially as described.

15. A car provided with a fender adapted to drop down at its front, trip mechanism having a pivoted lever operated by the motorman to hold said fender in a substantially horizontal position, means to reverse the motor operatively connected with said lever, and a foot-lever and mechanism to out out the reversing means when desired, substantially as described.

16. The combination of a car and a pivoted fender thereon with a reversing mechanism for the motor, and a combined automatic and handcontrolled means for dropping said fender, and having operative connections with said reversing mechanism, whereby the motor is reversed when the fender is dropped, and foot-controlled means to prevent'action of said reversing mechanism when occasion demands, substantially as described.

17. A car provided with a tilting fender and means to reverse the motor on the car, and a mechanism to trip the fender and actuate said reversing mechanism comprising a roller against which the heel of the fender rests, a tilting lever to hold said roller down, and means connected with said tilting lever operatively connected with said reversing mechanism, substantially as set forth.

18. In a safety mechanism for cars, a pivoted fender and a trip mechanism therefor, whereby the fender is permitted to drop at its front, in combination with a switch to reverse the motor which drives the car, and means connecting the same with said trip mechanism, the said means comprising a tilting lever having operative connection with said roller, substantially as set forth.

19. A car and a tilting fender thereon, in coi'nbination with a motor-reversing mechanism, and means connecting said reversing mechanism operatively with the fender, said means comprising a lever controllable by the motorman combined with an automatic tripping mechanism having operative connection with the front of the fender, substantiallyas described. 7

20. In safety attachments for cars, a fender and trip mechanism connected therewith, in combination with a reversing mechanism for the motor comprising a sliding switch having a double set of contact points in reverse relation to each other electrically, so that when the switch is engaged with one set of contacts the car moves forward and with the other is reversed to move backward, substantially as set forth.

21. A reversing mechanism for motor-cars comprising a double set of electrical contactpoints and a switch adapted to be moved from one of said sets of points to the other to reverse the motor, in combination with a dropfender and means operated thereby connected with said switch, and a separate foot-controlled lever for disconnecting said switch and operative means if occasion demands, substantially as described.

22. The combination of a fender and trip mechanism connected therewith, a switch to reverse the motor having operative connection with said trip mechanism, and a brake mechanism for the car comprising shoes adapted to engage between the wheel and the rail and block the wheel in its travel, and having a set of pivotally-supported levers with a slotted connection with said switch, substantially as described.

23. The combination of a reversing-switch mechanism for a motor on a car with means to block the wheels of the car comprising shoes pivotally supported and adapted to swing into position between the wheels and the car-track, and slotted levers pivotally supported on said car and having connections with said reversing mechanism whereby both shoes and switch are operated jointly, substantially as described.

24. The switch mechanism for the car constructed to reverse the direction of travel of the motor, in combination with a set of pivotally-supported levers having a slotted connection with said switch, brake-shoes adapted to engage the wheels of the car, and means connecting said brake with said levers to control their position, substantially as set forth.

25. A car and a fender thereon, a trip mechanism for said fender comprising a roller engaged by the heel of the fender and adapted to hold the fender up, a lever to control said roller, a bar connected with said lever, and a ratchet-wheel on one of the axles of the car adapted to be engaged by the. extremity of,

upon said ratchet-Wheel it is carried forward and the said roller is raised and the fender is permitted to drop at its front, substantially as set forth.

26. A car and fender thereon, and means to trip the fender comprising an initial operating member on the fender, a crank-lever having a roller engaged by the heel of the fender, a tripping device operatively connected With said initial operating member, a reversible electric switch having a connection with said lever, and a valve V having an operating-lever connected with said switch, substantially as described.

27. The combination of a motor-car and a fender thereon, and electrical reversing mechanism for said motor having a cylinder and a (DARRELL J. EOKROAD.

WVitnesses:

R. B. MosER, R. ZBORINK. 

